Introduction Sustainable Tourism is a set of complex activities. The complexity comes from the fact that there are many different individuals working towards the same goal. It is also complicated as there are several activities that must be undertaken at the same time for things to run smoothly. Despite the complexity, the benefits of [...]
Using Standards to Scale Sustainability in Tourism There are countless standards and certification schemes for sustainable tourism in the world. This provides opportunities, but can also create confusion. For this reason, UNEP and UNWTO joined forces with industry leaders and the conservation community. Together, they created the GSTC as a Council and the GSTC [...]
Booking.com Reveals Nine Predictions For The Future of Travel #6 Impact Awakening Booking.com expects to see a more eco-conscious mindset in 2021 and beyond as Coronavirus has amped people’s awareness about their impact on the environment and local communities, according to new insights, data and research spanning 20,000 travelers across 28 countries. "Over half [...]
Destination Stewardship Report Autumn 2020 October-December (Volume 1, Issue 2) The Destination Stewardship Report is an e-quarterly collaboration between the Destination Stewardship Center and Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and in time maybe others. Our goal is to provide practical information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving destination stewardship in a [...]
ECPAT and the Down to Zero Alliance call upon governments and businesses to prioritize child protection when developing a sustainable future for the sector 25 September 2020 – The Down to Zero Alliance comprising Terre des Hommes Netherlands, Defence for Children-ECPAT, ECPAT International, Free a Girl, ICCO and Plan International Netherlands calls upon the intergovernmental [...]
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) released a new tourism industry study; The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2020. This year's report includes a special focus on the two major crises facing our world today: climate change and COVID-19. Using cutting-edge research, the 2020 Case for Responsible Travel report provides an overview [...]
Destination Stewardship Report – Summer 2020 (Volume 1, Issue 1) This post is from the Destination Stewardship Report (Summer 2020, Volume 1, Issue 1), an e-quarterly publication that provides practical information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving destination stewardship in a post-pandemic world. GSTC-D A1: Its Importance by Randy [...]
Destination Stewardship Report – Summer 2020 (Volume 1, Issue 1) This post is from the Destination Stewardship Report (Summer 2020, Volume 1, Issue 1), an e-quarterly publication that provides practical information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving destination stewardship in a post-pandemic world. The Elaborate Process of Revising Your [...]
Destination Stewardship Report Summer 2020 Q3 (Volume 1, Issue 1) Welcome to the Destination Stewardship Report. This quarterly e-newsletter is a collaboration between the Destination Stewardship Center and Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and in time maybe others. Our goal is to provide information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving [...]
Cover Page of the ATDI Report 2020 Edition Adventure Tourism Development Index Report published in Companion with the GSTC Report The GSTC is excited to share that this year’s Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) report was published with the ‘GSTC Global Destination Sustainability Report’ as its companion report. The ATDI is an [...]
Under GSTC’s auspices, a national survey based on the GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) was conducted by Japan Tourism Agency among Japan’s local governments, to assess the degree of understanding on sustainability issues, and the current activities in developing sustainable destinations. The survey also aimed to help the development of "Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for [...]
96% of Indian travelers identified sustainable travel as important to them: Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2020 According to research conducted by Booking.com in 2020 (~ 22 global markets and ~1000 participants per market) 82% of travellers tell they find sustainability an important topic, but only 50% tell there's enough choice when it comes to [...]
With the sponsorship of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) partnered with The George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GWU IITS) to analyze the health of 24 tourism destinations based on the sustainability information gleaned through GSTC Destination Assessments using the GSTC Destination Criteria and Indicators, [...]
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) released a new tourism industry study; The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2019. The Trends & Statistics 2019, updates CREST’s previous industry studies, released every year since 2013. This year’s report was prepared in collaboration with more than 30 leading organizations and institutions. These institutions include [...]
Making Tourism Accessible (by TrainingAid) “I have a wife and three children. If I can’t use a product or service, then the business loses not only one person’s business, but five.” Martin Heng, Accessible Travel Manager & Editorial Adviser for Lonely Planet, emphasizes that people with disabilities and people with different access [...]
The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth identifies the GSTC Criteria as the key Tool for Sustainable Tourism The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth has published a report under the title "Tools for Sustainable Tourism” (Verktyg för hållbar turism), referring to the GSTC Criteria and GSTC-Recognized Standards. A short summary in [...]
TUI 2018 Sustainability Report: 9.2 million customers stayed in sustainable hotels certified to a GSTC-Recognized standard (81% of the hotels owned by TUI Group) TUI Group has just released its 2018 Sustainability Report with the progress on their goal to increase the number of hotels with sustainability certifications to accommodate 10 million customers a year [...]
PATA BUFFET (Building an Understanding For Food Excess in Tourism) State of the Industry Report Every year around the globe, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted. That is one-third of all food produced for human consumption (FAO, 2019). There is a huge opportunity for the tourism and hospitality industry in the Asia [...]
APEC Addresses Greenwashing in Tourism and refers to the importance of GSTC in a new Policy Report Demand for sustainable tourism has been on the rise, and with it came exaggerated sustainability claims – also known as “greenwashing”. This policy brief addresses the issue by examining the use of environmental certifications to address greenwashing and [...]
Global Travelers prefer eco-friendly accommodation: Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2019 70% of global travelers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not. However, when it comes to recognizing a sustainable place to stay, almost three quarters (72%) of [...]
